Cttbrent watek-wheel



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UNiTED sTAfrns gPATENT entiteit.' f

WM. MILES, OF BOONSBORO, MARYLAND.y

CURRENT WATER-wiener..

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 2,836, dated October 26, 1842. i

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILES, of Boonsboro, I'Vashington county, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Current Water-Wheel for Propelling Machinery, which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure l, is a Vertical section through the center of the wheel, and frame in which it is fastened; Fig. 2 top view of the wheel;

. Fig. 3 top view of the cog wheelrand pinion,

and lever for throwing them out of gear.

Similar letters refer Ato corresponding parts.

The outer frame A consists of two vertical posts connected together at top and bottom by two horizontal timbers. Inside of this frame is placed, a rising and falling frame B, also composed of Vtwo vertical posts, about one half the length of the above connected together at top and bottom by two horizontal timbers. On the outside of these posts is formed a tongue G, which moves in a longitudinal groove made on the inside of each of the posts of the outer frame. Inside this inner frame, and midway between the vertical posts of the same, is placed a vertical shaft C, which turns at the bottom, in a step secured to the horizontal timber and is supported at the top by passing through an opening, made in the upper horizontal timber, and in which it turns. To this shaft near its lower end are firmly secured two heads a a, about 15 inches apart and connected together at their peripheries by a number of staves s extending from one to the other and tted closely together all around, so as to form an air tight chamber. On top of the upper head a is fastened another head a of the same size, with a number of oblong mortises orV 10 degrees with the horizon and extends about 5 feet. To each of these arms or timbers D is attached, by hinges, a paddle or float E, in length equal to the distance from the periphery of the head tothe extent of the arms and twice as wide at the outer end as the inner one. These paddles are made of wood, and are connected to the arms, by staples F driven in the side of the arms, and through eyes formed on straps of iron I-I secured ati'each end of the paddle and extending across the same for the purpose of strengthening the paddles and also to aS- sist to gradually sink or turn them on the hinge until they hang' in a 'vertical position, when they reach the point c in the drawing and-the water has no effect on them. About-I8 inches below the top horizontal timber of the rising and falling frame, is placed another horizontal timber t of the same size, and mortised and tenoned into the vertical posts of said frame and extending from one to the other. On top of this timber and near the vertical shaft, is secured a step in which, turns an upright axle I, which extends above to the under side of the top horizontal timber, and passes through an opening made in the end of a lever J which lever is fastened to the lower side of said horizontal timber by a pin passing through its center and into the said timber, and on which it turns. On the above mentioned axle or shaft I and near the top thereof is fastened a cog wheel K, which, by moving the handle of the lever to the right is thrown into gear with a pinion L fastened on the vertical shaft C of the paddle wheel. VOn this shaft I below the cog wheel is secured a windlass M, a little greater in diameter than the shaft and about one half its length, at the top of which is attached a cord N which passes over a pulley O fastened in a mortise or recess made in the vertical post of the inner frame B and extends to the top of the outside frame A where it is fastened. To the lower end of this windlass and on the opposite side, isV

which will force the cog wheel K to the leftv inner frame B toward the surace of "the Water and Will continue to Wind until it is raised so far above the f'surfface that the Water can have no action on it, Where it 1s secured by passing a pin through an opening 1n they Vert-ical post of t-hefouter traine-and into `an opening in the vertical post of the inner frame B. Then it is desired to lower the frame, the pin is taken out, the Elever moved to the left, which disengages the cog Wheel with the :pinion on the if'ertica'l shaft Iand the 'Wheel and inner frame gradually lowers to its original position. The action vof the Current -on this Wheel is as follows: The Wheel Ibeing entirely submerged in the Water, and the current flowing in the ldirection indicated by the arrov Fig. 2, the paddles 'or Vfloats will assume a ver-tical position at the point e :and remain in that position, receiving the full force lof the current until they arrive at the point 'b when they will gradually rise until they arrive lat a position on a line with thear-ins, which they will 'retain in returning against the current unt-il they reach the point c, When they Will coninence to Agradually turn on the hinges by the action of the Water on their surfaces, until theyl reach the point a When they Will have reas- 1s`urne'd ftiifiei original position.

The air tight chamber on the vertical n shaft, is for the purpose yof removing the friction fronithe gudgeon of said shaft, by i raising by its buoyancy I*said gu'dg'eon with v shaft zan'd Wheel `a shoit distance above the l desire to secure by Letters Patent,

Vhat I claim 'as 'inv invention-and which f l. The inanner :of raising and lowering 'the Wheel by ineans of the cog Wheela'lever j Windlass, pulleys, and ropes 'as described.

Q.. Alsothe :inclined arms F with the loats .f

E arranged in the ymanner and for lthe purpose set forth. y Y WILLIAM MILES..

llit-nesses: i

E. MAHERY, BRADFORD HOSTEL. 

